Technology, efficiency and the cost of transport communications : a dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in [i.e. of] Professional Studies (Transport Management) at Lincoln University

Abstract

Effective and efficient communication in transport is essential. Transport providers, their customers and intermediate third parties can spend significant resources, including time and technology on communicating transport needs.

This research looks at worldwide trends in business communications and its influence on the transport sector. With the aid of a New Zealand business case study, a method for identifying the cost of manual communication systems was developed. It found that the most significant cost contributor in communication processes is labour cost. Modem electronic communication methods have the ability to reduce the time input significantly on transactional communications. A survey of a cross section of the New Zealand transport sector identified that investment in leading edge communication technology is still really only the domain of the larger operators. However it was found that there is a reasonable level of understanding among transport operators of all sizes as to the potential benefits of automating communication systems, but their primary concerns are still focused on cost, the difficulty of implementation and information security. The research concluded with the development of a transport communication website, which demonstrated that such systems need not be expensive or reliant on third party vendors. Effective systems are able to be developed with generic software and hardware by people with little technical experience, thereby making the options affordable, efficient and flexible for even the smallest of operations.